1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer device that includes therein an ink-ribbon-housing ink ribbon cartridge, and using a thermal head, thermally transfers the color material of the ink ribbon to a printing medium.
2. Description of Related Art
A printer device for printing images and characters to a printing medium is typified by a printer device of thermal transfer type in which a color material of an ink layer formed to one surface of an ink ribbon is sublimed, and the color material is thermally transferred to a printing medium so that color images and characters are printed. The printer device of such a type is provided with a thermal head for use to thermally transfer the color material of the ink ribbon to the printing medium, and a platen disposed at a position opposing the thermal head for supporting the ink ribbon and the printing medium.
In the printer device, the ink ribbon is put together with the printing medium in such a manner that the ink ribbon comes on the thermal head side, and the printing medium comes on the platen side. The ink ribbon and the printing medium are made to run between the thermal head and the platen while being pressed against the thermal head by the platen. At this time, in the printer device, the ink ribbon running between the thermal head and the platen is applied with the thermal energy from the underside to the ink layer thereof. The thermal energy is used to sublime the color material so that the color material is thermally transferred to the printing medium. In such a manner, color images and characters are printed.
In such a printer device, the device body is provided therein with an attachment section for attachment of an ink ribbon cartridge, which carries therein a pair of spools each wound with an ink ribbon. In the ink-ribbon-housing ink ribbon cartridge, one of the spools is wound with the ink ribbon before use, and the other spool is wound with the ink ribbon after use. When attached to the printer device, the ink ribbon cartridge is operated by a running mechanism provided inside of the device body, and the ink ribbon is pulled from one of the spools. The ink ribbon is then subjected to the thermal transfer process by the thermal head, and then is wound around the other spool.
JP-A-6-340136 is exemplified as a related art.